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I am kind of an obsessive list maker when it comes to traveling. What? I just like to be organized. Since this was my first trip to Indonesia, first ever SCUBA dive trip, and first international vacation in a long time, I was seriously stumped on how to pack. I did a lot of googling phrases like “scuba trip packing list” “what to pack for Indonesia” “how many pairs of underwear for 15 days”. While I didn’t find a one stop shop for a packing list, I cobbled together my own packing list using a few different resources (including this “how many underwear to pack” chart).

For reference, our trip was basically 5 days of travel time (2 there, 3 back) and 10 days SCUBA diving at the resort. We really didn’t do any other traveling or activities other than SCUBA/snorkel/swim. So if you’re going to be doing any hiking, temple visiting, climbing, etc., you’ll want to reference some other lists as well. I packed a lot of things I already owned and had for a long time. For items that were specifically awesome, I’ll link to them.

Clothes:

Dresses x 2 – I find dresses from “adventure” brands like Patagonia and prAna hold up to wrinkling well.

Tank Top x 5 – I highly recommend loose, blousy tanks. I just brought old and/or cheap Target ones. The only thing I ended up not wearing was a fitted workout tank with built in bra. It seemed too hot for something that fitted! If we had gone hiking, I probably would have worn it, though.

SPF Long Sleeve Shirts x 3 – it felt weird taking 3 long sleeve shirts to the tropics, but I wore them every single day for sun protection. Columbia and Patgonia have nice ones.

Shorts x 3 – I packed knee length stretch denim shorts and, though I wore them once, I regretted it. My other ones were cheap black and khaki ones from Old Navy.

Sweatshirt – strictly for airplane use. I brought an old zippy that I didn’t care about losing or ruining for easy on/off.

On the plane, I wore lightweight leggings, the grey Krochet Kids t-shirt, compression socks, sweat shirt, and running shoes. I looked a little sloppy, but in the airport I ditched the sweatshirt and running shoes, put on the Sanuks and the straw hat and felt like I looked presentable. In my carryon, I packed a dress, extra underwear, running shorts and my favorite swimsuit. I figured I could get by on that for awhile if my luggage got lost.

Hat x 2: Straw hat and one of Greyson’s dorky visors. I forgot to bring a baseball cap, which I completely regret.

Sunglasses x 3: I like these ones and these ones by Sun Cloud. They have nice, polarized lenses but aren’t so expensive that I’m terrified of losing them.

Sunglasses Strap: I lost this in the ocean partway through. Ooops.

Water Bottle: I usually use a Klean Kanteen, but I wanted the lighter/bigger Nalgene for this trip.

Travel Pillow/Eye Mask/Ear Plugs: Necessary for long flights

Headlamp: Didn’t use, but glad to have it

Life Straw: Ditto

Phone/Charger/Converter: The only electronic that I brought was my iPhone. It was my entertainment/e reader/camera/contact with the outside world. I have a LifeProof Nuud Waterproof Case so I wasn’t too worried about getting it wet, but I never brought it on the daily boat rides. Other people had GoPros and dive housing for their cameras, so I let them take all the actual SCUBA pictures.

Sunscreen – I’m really picky about what sunscreen I’ll use. Since we were spending so much time close to a delicate reef, it was really important to me that I use reef safe sunscreen. I brought two containers of Thinksport SPF 50, which has a good Environmental Working Group rating. It had a bit of a learning curve, as I didn’t apply enough my first time out and got a little burnt on my nose. After I figured out how much I needed to use, I really liked it, especially for my face.

Bug Spray with DEET

Waterproof Mascara/CC Cream/Eyeliner – this was the only makeup that I brought. I rarely wore any, but it was nice to have and all I needed/wanted.

Bronners & Conditioner

Dry Shampoo

Hair Ties & Barrettes/Wide Tooth Comb – the barrettes were essential for keeping my bangs back in the water

Toothpaste/Travel Toothbrush/Floss

Face wash wipes

Deodorant & Body Glide – I was so sweaty all the time, and I’m so glad I brought body glide.

There’s my list! While (nearly) everything I brought got used, there were a few standout products that I have to call out specifically.

Best Of:

Patagonia Magnolia Dress– I bought this dress in 2011 to wear in a friend’s wedding – it’s got to be the most versatile dress of all time. It barely wrinkles, it’s so comfortable and it’s super flattering. I have it in grey, but it comes in adorable patterns now.

Running shorts – I just brought a couple of old pairs that I had hanging around. I like them because they’re comfortable and dry quickly. I’d recommend ones without built in underwear if possible.

Columbia Sun Shirt – This was on sale, light, it protected me from the sun and let me live out my paleontologist fantasies. At 5’11”, the men’s medium fit me perfectly – way better than any of the women’s shirts.

Calavera Core Lifeguard swim top– this top was the best one to wear under my wetsuit. It’s also great to swim around in. I never worried about falling out or it coming untied, even while pulling my wetsuit on and off. It also didn’t have bulky knots.

Columbia Straw Hat– this hat covered my face, my neck and my dirty hair while looking pretty stylish. It also was able to be re-shaped after I crushed it into my carry on over and over.

BodyGlide– chafing is no joke in the tropics. I used this daily for chafe-proofing my body. When I started developing hot spots on my toes, this stuff helped as well.

Sea to Summit Travel Pillow– I can sleep anywhere, and it’s in part due to this awesome travel pillow. It packs down so small, but blows up big and firm enough for real support.

2.5 mm Full Length Wetsuit – I bought a cheap suit from Seavenger and, while I’m not sure how long it’s going to last me, it worked great for this trip. It was easy to get on and off, didn’t stretch out too much, dried as well as other pricier suits, and never started to smell bad. Note: size down! According to their measurements, I was at the top end of a size 13. I ordered that and it was way too big. Luckily, they had an 11 still in stock and I ordered that. It fit me, and it was nowhere close to too small.

Suunto ZOOP Dive Computer
– This is a pretty basic model, but it was very easy to use. Greyson set it up in just a couple of minutes, and all I had to do was turn it on and jump in the water. Idiot proof!

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I receive a small percentage of the sale as compensation – at no additional cost to you. I promise to only recommend products that I use and enjoy!

The weather is warm, the pine pollen is in full swing, and I’ve started checking items off my Tahoe Summer Bucket List – summer is here! I thought I’d share my list of my essential gear for an amazing summer in Tahoe (or anywhere warm with a water body and unlimited trails!)

A swimsuit you can actually swim in! I have a few of these, ranging from a one piece Tyr for open water swims to cute and functional bikinis. My current favorite thing to do is to pair this Patagonia top with these prAna Ramba bottoms
. I also have a Calavera suit(lifeguard top and bottom), which I really like. I like how their sizing tool lets you put in measurements for your optimal size. Note – the bottoms I got fit me well, but don’t have as much coverage as I was expecting. They stay in place and look great though!

Healthy sunscreen and a hat. While I care about protecting myself from sun damage, I also worry about the potentially harmful effects of certain sunscreen ingredients on our waterways. I try to choose sunscreens that are mineral based (as opposed to “chemical”). If you’re looking for a healthy sunscreen that is activity, sweat and water-proof and works, my friend Kristen at Wayfare Collective did a great round up of environmentally friendly sunscreens to help you find one that will hold up to hard use: Part One, Part Two,Part Three. I’ve been using Beyond Coastal 30 SPF and, while I don’t love the smell or the way it feels – I can’t deny that it stays put. Greyson’s beard sometimes still smells like sunscreen, even after all day outside and washing his face.

Another great way to keep sun off my face (and prevent scalp burns – thanks, fine hair!) is a hat. While there are a ton of cute and stylish floppy hats out there, my favorite is an old baseball cap I got in a thrift store in Bishop, California. Baseball hats seem to work well when I’m active, keeping my hair and sweat off my face and covering up the second or third day of camp hair.

A way to keep your drink cold. Having a cold beer or icy Negroni on the beach or dock is one of summer’s true joys. If the sun is beating down on you, keeping your drink refreshing can be a challenge.

You can always go with a standard beer koozie, but if you need your ice to last longer, I like the 16 oz insulated Klean Kanteen. It keeps cold drinks cold for up to 12 hours, and never gets a gross smell, no matter how long you leave old lemonade festering in there. (Not that I know from experience or anything.)

A bike to ride around town. While I own several bikes, I’m most attached to the one I ride the most – an early 2000’s Cannondale hardtail in Sobe green. While this bike is still great on the trails (I rode it on the Flume Trail this spring), it’s the bike I generally ride around town. Really, there’s nothing more fun than throwing a towel & sunscreen, a great book, some chips and a water bottle into my backpack and pedaling down to the beach. I also love riding to the bar to meet friends for a happy hour beer, and racing home as an adult bike gang.

For night rides and camping – a headlamp. I can slip mine (the Petzl Tikka 2 Plus) under my helmet when I’m bike commuting home after dark and it’s light enough (no heavy battery pack) that I don’t really notice it when I’m reading in the tent.

Adventure sandals. I know that adventure sandals have their specific place – and, in my opinion, that place is almost everywhere. Ha! I personally love Chacos (I recently bought my 4th pair) and the Z-tanline is pretty much permanently ingrained in my foot at this point. Other great brands are Keens, Teva and Sanuk.

These are just a few of the things I love for summer. What’s on your summer essentials list?

Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I receive a small percentage of the sale as compensation – at no additional cost to you. I promise to only recommend products that I use and enjoy!